This invention relates to a warning device for a watercraft provided with a plurality of marine propulsion engines and more particularly to an improved warning device for providing more stable running in the event of a detrimental condition existent in one of the engines.
It is well known in larger and more powerful watercrafts to provide, as a propulsion device, a plurality of outboard motors mounted on the transom of the watercraft for propelling it. It is also well known that individual outboard motors may include devices for protecting the outboard motor against damage and for warning the operator of a dangerous operating condition. Such devices may sense either a low oil level or a high operating temperature and provide a warning signal to the operator if these conditions occur. In addition, such systems frequently employ an arrangement for retarding or slowing the speed of the outboard motor under such a dangerous condition. However, when a watercraft is powered by two outboard motors so equipped and a dangerous condition exists in one of the outboard motors, the operation of the watercraft may become unstable and, furthermore, the slowing of the outboard motor having the dangerous condition can be overridden. That is, if the watercraft is powered by a pair of outboard motors and one of them slows abruptly due to a dangerous condition, the stability and direction of travel of the watercraft may be serious affected and require operator control in order to return a watercraft to the desired direction of travel. Also, when one of the outboard motors is slowed and the other continues to operate at full speed, the watercraft speed will be maintained at a relatively high level and the water will drive the propeller of the slowed engine and cause its speed to increase again and thus the protection of the engine is offset and damage might occur.
It is, therefore, a principal object of this invention to provide an improved warning device for a watercraft provided with a plurality of marine propulsion engines.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved arrangement for insuring the stability of operation of a dual powered watercraft in the event a dangerous condition exists in one of the powering devices which requires slowing of it for its protection.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved warning device that insures protection of one of the powering engines of a watercraft in the event of a dangerous condition that requires its slowing.